Velocity Measurements on Gliders

There are many reasons for making current velocity measurements on a glider.  Simply using profiles of current velocity structure and shear as a reference to interpret contour plots of other physical variables is reason enough for many researchers.  Measuring higher velocity in one location compared to another could help explain evidence of upwelling.  Observing variance in velocity shear at different locations in the horizontal and vertical could provide insight to the formation and dissipation of phytoplankton thin layers.  Further, because gliders do not necessarily need to surface and communicate their location between dive cycles, some geospatial uncertainty about where the measurements are made is introduced.  Current velocity may help define the glider path between GPS fixes providing more accurate positioning for other data products.

The article "A New World of Velocity Profile Capabilities for Gliders" (3 MB), published in the October 2009 issue of the Marine Technology Reporter, explores three case studies of close academic-commercial collaboration and of how researchers are using Nortek Aquadopp Profilers on various glider platforms.